Com. Doak applauds order on health plans

By Staff Report

Trump signs an executive order in the Roosevelt Room of the White House with Rand Paul, Mike Pence, Rep. Virginia Foxx, and Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak is applauding President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order that could expand the health insurance options for millions of Americans.

Specifically, President Trump has directed federal agencies to amend rules to expand access to association health plans by allowing employers to form groups across state lines and to return oversight of short-term limited duration plans to the states.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak

“I commend President Trump for taking action to help the people who have been hurt by Obamacare,” Doak said. “Expanding the use of association health plans will allow Oklahomans to band together to find the stable, affordable coverage that they need.

“In 2012, I pushed for legislation in Oklahoma that encouraged the use of association health plans in our state, and I’m thrilled that these plans could expand even more under the Trump administration.”

The executive order also directs other federal agencies to take steps to address regulations that hinder consumer choices. These actions will include proposing rules to allow employers to fund tax-advantaged accounts to cover out-of-pocket expenses for employees via health reimbursement arrangements and producing a report outlining any state and federal laws that may impede competition and choice for health insurance and healthcare consumers.

“Taken together, these actions could go a long way toward returning competition to our health insurance markets and could provide consumers with choices they may not have had before,” Doak said.

The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.